VILLAGERS IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DAILY LIVES.




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: IN A UNIQUE EXPERIMENT IN ITS BRIEF HISTORY, TANZANIA HAS LAUNCHED AT NEW APPROACH TO PROGRESS - DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CO-OPERATION. THE EXPERIMENT IS NOW WELL UNDER WAY IN RUVUMA ASSOCIATION, IN WHICH ALL THE VILLAGERS HELP EACH OTHER PROGRESS.

A FIVE-MONTH LEADERSHIP COURSE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE COMPLEX TO TRAIN SELECTED PEOPLE FROM THE VILLAGES WHO THEN HELP TO TRAIN OTHERS IN SIMILAR SCHEMES ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

AGRICULTURE IS THE COUNTRY'S MAIN INDUSTRY, BUT HAPHAZARD FARMING AND LACK OF PLANNING HAS ALL TOO OFTEN RESULTED IN BARREN, USELESS FARMLAND BEING LEFT BEHIND AFTER FARMERS HAVE WORKED THE LAND TOO MUCH. WHEN ONE PLOT OF LAND HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED, THE FARMED IN THE PAST, HAS ALWAYS MOVED ON THE ANOTHER AND TILLED THE LAND UNTIL IT WAS EXHAUSTED.

THIS UNPRODUCTIVE AND WASTEFUL METHOD OF FARMING WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROBLEMS TACKLED UNDER THE CO-OPERATION SCHEME. COMMUNITY WORK IS NOT A TRADITIONAL FEATURE OF TANZANIAN LIFE, BUT IN THE RUVUMA SETTLEMENT. THE VILLAGERS JOINED FORCES TO COMBAT A COMMON ENEMY - POVERTY. UNDER THE SCHEME, MODERN METHODS OF FARMING WERE INTRODUCED TO THE VILLAGERS. TREES WERE FELLED TO MAKE WAY FOR FUTURE CROPLAND. CROPS WERE PLANTED IN ROTATION.

THE ENTIRE OPERATION, FROM TILLING THE LAND TO REAPING THE RIPENED CROP, DEPENDS ON THE CO-OPERATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL VILLAGER IN THE COMPLEX. WHEN THE TOBACCO CROP IS RIPE, ALL THE VILLAGERS HELP IN PICKING AND GRADING THE LEAVES.